Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

A. H. HAMMOND.

- MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 296,165. Patented Apr. 1, 1884.

' Ig'y'. M 1 l n "\1 1 7 llllllllllllllll w (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

A. H. HAMMOND.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 296,165. Patented Apr. 1, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rnicn.

ANDREW H. HAMMOND, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,165, dated April 1, 1884.

Application filed November 1-1, 1882. (No model.) Patented in England December 12, 1882, No. 5,935.

T at whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW H. HAMMOND, of \Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a'certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement relates to mechanical musicalinstruments wherein perforated musicsheets control the playing and are wound and unwound upon take-up and music rollers.

The improvement consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of a driving-shaft, a music-sheet, a take-up roller for the music-sheet capable of movement toward and from the driving-shaft, a wheel on the driving-shaft, awheel on the take-up roller, a movable cover or section of the case, and

means whereby, when the said cover or section is closed, one of the said wheels will be forced against the other with a yielding pressure, for the purpose of causing the music-sheet to be wound up on the take-up roller when the driving-shaft is rotated, and so that when the cover or section is opened the said wheels will bereleased from operative engagement.

The improvement also consists in the combination of a musicsheet, music and take-up rollers therefor having movable bearings, a driving-shaft, a wheel on the driving-shaft, a wheel 011 the take-up roller for deriving motion from the Wheel on said driving-shaft, a pulley on the driving-shaft, a pulley connected to the music-roller, a belt passing around these pulleys, and a movable cover or top section, and push-pieces on the same adapted to act upon the movable bearings of said rollers. By means of this combination the adjusting or putting of a cover or top section in its place on the instrument renders the take-up roller operative to wind the music-sheet upon it, and the removal of said cover or top section,

renders the music-roller operative to rewind the music-sheet.

The improvement also consists in the com-. 'bination of a music-roller on which the musicsheet is rewound after playing, and which is supported in movable bearings, a drivingshaft, a belt for transmitting motion from the driving-shaft to said music-roller, anda cover or top section provided with means whereby, on being adjusted into its place, it will effect the movement of the bearings of said roller to slacken the belt and on being removed will cause the tightening of the belt.

The improvement also consists in the combination of an equalizer the upper board of which is fixed in the case of the instrument, bellows mounted upon the top of said fixed board, a wind-chest communicating with the equalizer, supported at one end by the said fixed board and extending over said bellows, and a reed-board extending upward from the inner or unsupported end of the wind-chest.

The improvement also consists in other combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of a mechanical musical instrument embodying my improvement, one end of the case being removed with the exception of certain small portions to exhibit the interior. Fig. 2 is a plan of the instrument; but the middle portion is omitted to economize space; and Fig. 3 is atransverse section of the upper portion of the reed-board and the music and take-up rollers, also showing the music-sheet as it passes from one roller to the other over the reed-board.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The case A of theinstrument may be of any suitable material and construction, and provided with a cover or upper section, which may be moved away at pleasure. As here shown, it has a cover, B, which is connected to it at one edge by hinges a.

Reeds O are employed in this example of my invention as the sound-producing devices, and they are arranged in cellsor chambers b inaboa'rd, D. The board is shown as arranged in an upright position, and as supported by a wind-chest, E. This wind-chest extends horizontally from a block, F, which is mounted on the stationaryboard of an equalizer or receiver, G. Preferably I make the cells or chambers which are opposite the reeds considerably wider below the mouths than at the months.

and provide cells or chambers at the backs of the reeds in order to enhance the tones of the reeds.

Bellows H are mounted on the stationary board of the equalizer G, side by side, and in this example of my invention three of them are employed. As the instrument shown is adapted to be operated by suction, I have employed exhaust-bellows.

The block F is rigidly fixed to the stationary board of the equalizer, and may be considered as a part thereof. The wind-chest E is supported at one end only on this block, and extends inward over the bellows, while the reed-hoard D extends upward from its inner or unsupported end. The movable board of the equalizer tends to move outward under the influence of a spring or springs in a wellknown manner. I provide the movable board of the equalizer with an ordinary valve, 0, which,when the equalizer is unduly collapsed, will open and admit air to it.

On the upper side of the wind-chest is a valve, E, which, when not otherwise actuated, is impelled upward by a spring, 8. Air can then enter the wind-chest without passing through the reed-board, and the speaking of the reeds is prevented.

The bellows H are connected by links I with cranks 0, extending from a shaft, J. This shalt serves as the driving-shaft, and is pr0- vided outside the case with a crank, c, whereby motion may be imparted to it. One end of this shaft is supported in a bearing-block,

f, aflixed to the interior of the case of the instrument, and the other end, which is provided with the hand-crank c, is supported in the opposite end of the case.

K designates a perforated music-sheet, which is caused to pass over a rest consisting of the top of the reed-board D, and to thereby control the speaking of the reeds. It is guided by means of guidepiecesg, arranged at the ends of the reed-board. The music-sheet is secured at one on d to a roller, L, around which it is intended to be kept wound while out of use. This roller is detachable from the instrument, and is termed the music-roller. The cover B of the case must be raised to remove this roller. When in the instrument the other end is detachably fastened to a roller, M, which may be permanently secured in the instrument, and is termed the take-up roller. The music-sheet may be fastened to the take-up roller by means of an eye upon its end and a hook in a recess in the roller, or in any other desirable manner. The music-roller is supported in bearings L, which consist of standards pivoted to the side of the wind-chcst E, and receiving the journals of the roller in the other ends. These. bearings are shown as sevorally made of two pieces, h t, which may be made of wood. The pieces h form the bottom and one side of the hearings, and the pieces 1' are made thin and springy and form the other side of the hearings. These pieces 2 are fastened to the sides or the pieces 7:, near the bot tom,hy screws j, and hence act as springs. The sides of the bearings which are formed in the pieces h are adapted to overhang the j on rnals ofthe roller, so as to prevent its accidental removal from the bearings. The distance between the sides of the hearings is slightly less than the diameter of the journals of the roller; hence when the journals are inserted the pieces 73 are sprung off from the pieces 71, and alter the insertion of the journals bear against them with a spi'ingpressure, exerting sufficient friction to produce a slight tension on the musicsheet, and thereby causing the music-sheet to hug the rest or top of the reed-board closely. On one of the journals of the music-roller is a pulley, L, which receives a belt, L, that also passes around a pulley, L, on the drivingshaft J. Springs L, aflixed to the end of the reed-board D or to the guide-pieces g, and bearing against the standards or bearings L near the upper ends, tend to swing the musicroller away from the driving-shaft, and thereby they produce a tension on the belt L.

One of the journals of the take-up roller M is supported in a fixed hearing, which, as here shown, consists of a bearing-block, k, which is permanently secured to one side of the case. The other journal is supported in a swinging bearing-block, 7;, which is pivoted to the opposite side of the case. Near this journal the roller is provided with a wheel, M, which is adapted to make contact with and derive mo tion from a wheel, J, on the driving-shaft. Either or both of the wheels J M may he faced with india-rubber or analogous material. A flange or head on the take-up roller, if capable of engagement with the wheel on the driving-shaft, would be in effect a wheel on the take-up roller.

It will be observed that the music and takeup rollers L M are arranged close to opposite sides of the reed-hoard D, and the music sheet K passes from the under side of one roller directly to the top of the reed-board, and from the reed-board directly to the underside of the other roller. It is thus caused to hug the reed-board closely, and the chance oi'leakage between the reed-board and music-sheet is materiallylessened, if not entirely avoided.

On the cover B of the case are blocks B having inclined ends,and adapted,on the closing of the cover, to press the standards or bear- B is not rigidly affixed to the cover, but is pivoted at the upper end to the cover and act- The cover has pivoted to the interior of uated by a spring, 1), so that itwill force over the swinging block of the take-up roller with a yielding pressure. The corners of the swinging block In and of the block B, which come into contact, are preferably rounded or chamfered off, as shown, so that the block B may with facility pass behind the said swinging block to impel it forward. I also provide the cover with a push-piece, B which, when the cover is closed, will press on the valve E and close it. When the cover B is closed, the blocks B, by forcing the standards or bearings L toward the driving-shaft and slackening the belt L prevent the driving-shaft J from imparting any motion to the music-roller, and the block B", by forcing forward the swinging bearing-block k and pressing the wheel M of the take-up roller against the wheel J of the driving-shaft,causes the latter,

when turned, to impart motion to the take-up roller. The music-sheet is thus fed forward in the proper direction for producing a tune. I

The raising of the cover by permitting the springs L to force the standards or bearings L away from the driving-shaft, so as to tighten the belt L, and relieving the swinging bearing-block 7c of the take-up roller of pressure, prevents the driving-shaft fromimparting motion to the take-up roller, and enables it to impart motion to the music-roller, so as to rewind the musicsheet after playing a tune.

As the valve E is closed when the cover is shut, and opened when the cover is raised, the'bellows will be rendered operative merely by the act of closing the cover, and inoperative by the opening of the cover. The speaking of the reeds will thus be prevented dur-' ing the rewinding of the music-sheet.

' I do not wish to be limited to employing a cover for controlling the operation of the music and take-up rollers, as a removable top section of any kind may be employed in lieu thereof.

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a driving-shaft, a mnsicsheet, a take-up roller for the music-sheet capable of movement toward and from the driving-shaft, a wheel on the driving-shaft, a wheel on the take-up roller, a movable cover or section of the case, and means whereby, when the said cover or section is closed, one of the said wheels will be forced against the other with a yielding pressure for the purpose of causing the music-sheet to be wound up on the take-up roller when the driving-shaft is rotated, and so that when the cover or section is opened the said wheels will be released from operative engagement, substantially as specified.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a music-sheet, music and takeup rollers for the music-sheet, having movable bearings, a driving-shaft, a wheel on the drivingshaft, a wheel on the take'up roller for deriving motion from the wheel on said driving-shaft, a pulley on the driving-shaft, a pulley connected to the music-roller, a belt passing around these pulleys, and a movable cover or top section, and push-pieces on the same adapted to act upon the movable bearings of said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument wherein a traveling music-sheet is employed, the combination of a roller, M, on which the music-sheet is wound, the wheel M, the bear ing-block k, the driving-shaft J, the wheel J,

and a cover or top section provided with the block B", and the spring 19, substantially as specified.

4. In a mechanical musical instrument wherein a traveling music-sheet is employed, the combination of a music-roller on which the music-sheet is rewound after playing, and which is supported in movable bearings, a driving-shaft, a belt for transmitting motion from the driving-shaft to said roller, and a cover or top section provided with means whereby, on being adjusted into its place, it will effect the movement of the bearings of said roller to slacken the belt, and on being removed will cause the tightening of the belt, substantially as specified.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument wherein a traveling music-sheet is employed, the combination of a roller on which the music-sheet is rewound after playing, a drivingshaf't, a belt for transmitting mot-ion from the driving-shaft to the said roller, the movable bearings L, in which the said roller is supported, the springs L and the blocks B on a cover or top section, substantially as specified.

6. I11 a mechanical musical instrument wherein a traveling music-sheet is employed, the combination of a roller, M, on which the musicsheet is wound, the wheel M, the bearing-block 76', the driving-shaft J, the wheel J,

the windchest E, the valve E, and a cover or top section provided with the block H the push-piece B and the spring 19, substantially as specified. 1

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a valve, E, a spring for opening the same, and a cover or top section pro vided with a push-piece for closing the valve, substantially as specified.

8. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of an equalizer the upper board of which is fixed in the case of theinstrument, bellows mounted on the top olsaid fixed board, a wind-chest communicating with the equalizer, supported at one end on said fixed board and extending over said bellows, and a reedboard extending upward from the inner end of the wind-chest, substantially as specified.

9. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of an equalizer the upper board of which is fixed in the case of the instrument, bellows mounted on the top ofsaid fixed board, a wind-chest communicating with the equah izer, supported at one end by said fixed board drivingshaft arranged beyond the wind-chest and extending over said bellows, a reed-board and reed-board over the bellows, substantially extending upward from the inner end of said as specified.

Wind-chest, a music-roller supported above ANDREXV H. HAMMOND. 5 the wind-chest; at one side of the reed-board, Vitnesses:

a take-up roller arranged beyond the reed- T. J. KEANE,

board and wind-chest over the bellows, and a JAMES R.- BOWEN. 

